Alice and What Came After: The Extras
by BregoBeauty
Summary: Here's a behind the scenes peek at scenes that never quite made it off the cutting room floor and alternate versions of ones that did.
1. Original Concept

**Alice and What Came After – The Extras**

**Disclaimer:** Nothing except my shiny new copy of _Alice_ on DVD! Yay!

**Summary:** Bits and pieces that didn't make it in the actual story.

**Original Concept**

I'd been watching "Alice" on TV the second time it aired. I missed a few bits so I rewatched it online. I let ideas brew in my head for a few days until around Christmas, when my grandmother passed away. When stressed, I like to write. So I used my Sony Reader (and e-book with some handy tools) and during car rides to functions and such, I scribbled down my ideas (hey, it was smaller than my notebook…)

Here's some of those first notes:

_(Dec 24th, 2009)_

_Alice & Hatter get married after Sarah's birth. Sarah falls for one of Jack's sons in Wonderland. Sarah has Hatter's unruly hair. She learned defense from her mom. She's very close to Hatter. Never went to Wonderland with him._

_(Dec 25th, 2009)_

_Damen is King - killed Jack, who escaped through the mirror to warn Alice_

_Hatter is to be killed - he spoke to Jack and begged him to warn Alice and destroy the mirror_

_Damen's brother leads resistance and finds Sarah after she falls through in search of her parents_

_(Dec 26th, 2009)_

_Alice is abducted - Sarah escapes but follows, intent on finding her dad._

_Hatter is going mad under torture by the Drs. Dee & Dum & believes Sarah is Alice come to save him_

_Sarah's love for Jack's son helps her stay alive in this strange world_

My next goal was to pick a title. Alternate titles included: _Another Wonderland, Family Affair, _and _Prince of Hearts._

The actual title is an homage to the books by Carroll—_Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ and _Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There_—at least I think those are the correct titles—I don't actually own a copy of the book.

Here's an early handwritten scene:

_Hatter kept Wonderland alive by telling his daughter stories about his home. Stories that defied imagination._

_Alice, too, kept Wonderland alive by passing on her tattered copy of Alice of Legend's adventures. She even got cats--Dinah, Snowdrop, and Kitty._

_He missed his home at times, but overall, he was quite content with Alice and their daughter._

_At least until after years of peace, Wonderland invaded again--this time taking him hostage._

_Locked in a dungeon cell awaiting his execution, Hatter collected his thoughts, even as nonsense threatened his memories. All that mattered to Hatter was the safety of Alice and Sarah. Safety that didn't seem possible from what Drs. Dee and Dum told him._

_His wife was to be executed and his daughter's fate was unknown--perhaps the King of Hearts didn't know she existed--but it was likely she would die alongside her mother._

_Unless Jack took pity on Alice's daughter, all three Hatters would die._


	2. Original Opening Chapter

**Alice and What Came After – The Extras**

**Disclaimer:** Nothing except my shiny new copy of _Alice_ on DVD! Yay!

**Original Opening Chapter**

_Based on the original concept—here's the first chapter, or what might have been worked into an opening:_

Wonderland might be a strange place, but it remained home for a slightly mad man with a habit of wearing hats. His name was David Hatter and he lived in a modest two-story home with his wife and teenage daughter.

Hatter had a fondness for tea. He had run a successful, yet illegal, tea room back in Wonderland before meeting the famed Alice of Legend. At the time, she had been little more than a pretty girl in a very wet dress. What transpired between them shaped both Wonderland and their bond. It continued through the Looking Glass and into Alice's world.

Nowadays they lived in her world. But Hatter still longed for his home and all its eccentricities.

With Alice's permission, Hatter traveled between the two worlds. He missed Alice when he left her behind. Once their daughter was born, visiting his home hurt even more than before. Despite the heartache, Hatter knew he never truly belonged in Alice's world. Wonderland would always be his home.

It was during one of his visits through the Looking Glass that his beloved home turned into a distant memory. Wonderland lost its wonder for Hatter. Alice and Sarah were his home. They were all he truly needed in order to be happy. They were his own personal piece of Wonderland. His Alice and their little jabberwock.

Unfortunately for David Hatter, he was trapped beyond the Looking Glass, awaiting his execution. His crime? Loving an Oyster. In this twisted version of Wonderland, loving Alice was treason. The King of Wonderland himself ordered Hatter's arrest. There was even a rumor that the king would be the one to chop off his head, hat and all.

The only problem was that he overheard the Suits' plan to travel through the mirror and capture his wife. If the king and his minions learned about Sarah...

Hatter shook his head. He wouldn't let that happen.

"Mom? Is Dad home yet?" asked a brunette teenager. Her shoulder length hair stuck out in odd patches. 'Hatter hair' is what her father always called it.

Sarah tossed her backpack down at the foot of an antique mirror. Her reflection shone back.

"Mom?" she called again.

No answer.

"Mom?"

Sarah's shoes echoed in the empty room. Alice used her home studio on her days off to keep in shape. Usually she practiced once Sarah got home. Karate was a shared passion between them. Even her father could throw a few good punches.

"Hey, honey. How was class?" Alice asked, her long hair pulled back in a ponytail.

Sarah shrugged. "Is dad back yet?"

Alice took a deep breath. "I don't know. Time is different there."

"Why don't we ever go with dad?"

"To Wonderland?"

"Yeah. Didn't you meet dad over there?"

Alice nodded. "We did. But Wonderland just wasn't for me. It's Hatter's home, not ours."

"I guess..."

Alice gave her daughter a hug. "I know you miss him, baby. I miss him too."

Sarah sniffled. "He's never been gone this long before."

Dinner consisted of reheated takeout. Hatter was the cook of the family. Of course most of his meals included some obscure blend of tea. Not that they minded. Tea time was a sacred ritual in the Hatter household.

Sarah picked at her plate.

Across the table, silverware clattered. Her mother loved takeout. Hatter never understood the concept and banned 'that rubbish' from his kitchen. Not that it stopped Alice.

A loud sound came from the other room. Sarah dropped her fork.

"Dad?"

Sarah ran to the mirror, half-expecting a familiar accent to call out her name. Instead she was greeted by a man with blonde hair wearing a red suit. He clutched his stomach.

"Alice?" the stranger called.

Sarah stared at him. "Mom?"

Her mother appeared behind her. "Sarah, what--? Jack?"

Alice bent down beside him.

"Alice..."

"You're hurt..."

"Alice, listen to me. You're in danger."

"What?"

"Your... husband, Hatter, he sent me to warn you..."

Alice frowned. "About what?"

"Wonderland is under attack. My son takes after my mother. He sent Suits to guard the Looking Glass. Alice, David Hatter is to be executed for treason."

"There has to be a mistake."

"He loves you. Under the new rules that is treason."

"How?"

"Wonderlanders cannot be with Oysters."

"But there has to be something we can do..."

Jack shook his head. "There isn't."

"How long does Hatter have?"

"Three days."

"Then we can go--"

"No, Alice. He made me promise to get you out of here."

"Not without him!"

A man tumbled through the mirror. Another man followed. They wore suits and sunglasses.

"Run!" Alice screamed, going into a fighting stance.

Sarah wanted to help her mother but common sense told her to run.

And run she did.

Alice grappled with the first attacker, using a wrist grab to disable him. Before she could go on the offensive, two men grabbed her arms. Sheer force wouldn't help her break free.

"Tie her hands," ordered one of the men. A Suit, just like Jack warned.

Alice struggled in their grip. Jack groaned a few feet away.

"What about Heart?" one of Alice's captors asked.

A quick series of gunshots brought an end to Jack's sounds. Alice jerked at each shot.

"Find the other Oyster."

Shaking with rage, Alice went through the mirror on her own. Bright lights surrounded her as she tumbled down the rabbit hole and into Wonderland.

Sarah crashed through the front door, her jacket flying out behind her. One of her father's hats covered her head. Adrenaline kicked in, sending her down the street to her mother's studio.

In a back room, a small mirror rested against a wall. It was a one way mirror to her father's home in Wonderland. No one used it. It was for emergencies.

Taking a deep breath, Sarah jumped through the Looking Glass and into Wonderland.


	3. Alternate Chapter Seventeen

**Alice and What Came After – The Extras**

**Disclaimer:** Nope. Just copies of the DVD and my own twisted mind.

**Alternate Chapter Seventeen**

_This was one of the most difficult chapters in the entire story to date. There were so many different ways to play the escape out. Some parts stayed on in the posted chapter. _

Hatter grabbed her hand, pulling her up the stairs after him. With her legs free of the heavy skirts, Alice found it easier to run, except that she couldn't breathe too well. Not with the corset crushing her ribs.

She took shallow breaths as she followed Hatter down a long corridor. It twisted and grew dark. A servants' hallway. Jack wouldn't look for them there. Jack probably didn't even know it existed.

Down below, an alarm sounded, putting all of the Suits on high alert. It didn't take long for all the men to know that the new Queen of Hearts, Alice, had been taken hostage by the Mad Hatter. The King's orders were to kill the Hatter and save their Queen.

Neither Hatter nor Alice knew about the commotion downstairs.

Not until a group of Suits came thundering their way, guns at the ready.

Hatter threw open a door, pushing Alice inside. He shoved the door closed with Alice on one side and himself on the other.

"Hatter? Hatter!" Alice screamed, pounding on the door.

Through the strong wood she could hear gunshots. Her heart jumped at each loud pop. _Hatter… please, no…_

*~*~*~*~*~*

Charlie reined his horse to a halt outside the Manor. He could see the Suits rushing about, some type of alarm going off. It sounded almost like an insect. An annoyed one. Their alarm was nothing compared to his own inventions.

"Drop your weapon!" a Suit ordered, a very large gun trained on the White Knight.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Drop the sword!"

"I am the White Knight… young rascal. Charles—"

"Whatever you say, grandpa. Drop the sword. You can take it up with the King later."

The gun cocked.

Charlie looked down at his sword, still resting in his scabbard. The nerve of this young whippersnapper, giving orders as if he were the King himself. Why, if Alice were only there…

"I need to see the Lady Alice… of Legend," Charlie said, not unbuckling his sword. "I have an urgent message for her."

"Too bad. Queen Alice was abducted this morning by a Madman."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Hatter grabbed the nearest Suit before he could squeeze off a shot. A sledgehammer to the side of the head made the man woozy, giving Hatter a chance to snatch his gun and turn the dazed Suit into a shield.

The Suits opened fire on the Wonderlander. They didn't seem to mind if their bullets hit their comrade in arms or their target.

Hatter returned fire. He wasn't going down without a fight.

Two Suits dropped to the floor, dead, leaving Hatter alone with three more. He took a breath, switching guns as the Suit in his arm groaned. His shield had several holes, not that Hatter cared. Not when Alice was in danger.

A blur of white and red streaked out of a room, jumping at the nearest Suit.

Alice.

Stunned, Hatter let go of his human shield, moving toward the dark haired woman. _And everyone thought I was Mad…_

The woman he loved had already flipped one Suit over. He'd forgotten how good she was at fighting. Maybe when this was all over, she would teach him a few moves.

BANG!

A gunshot tore through his hat, striking his skull.

_*~*~*~*~*~*_

Alice heard the door turning. She dove under the bed, shaking a bit. _Please be Hatter, please be Hatter…_

She stayed still, her body hidden by a duffel bag. She slowed her breathing.

"Alice?"

_Hatter…_

"Alice? Where are you?"

She slowly slipped out, her foot hooking into the strap of the duffel bag. Hatter reached out to help her up, only for her to trip.

He steadied her, giving her a chance to shake the bag off.

"Hatter, what did you do?"

"You should see the other guys…" he quipped, her head touching his bloodied head. His hat was gone.

"Why did you—?"

"Do you really need to ask, Alice? I couldn't risk them hurting you."

"Hat—"

"We need to get out of here. Less questions, more running."

"I can't breathe…"

He looked at the dress, or what was left of it. "Right."

Hatter flipped out a small blade, slicing through the top layer of the dress and then the corset, freeing Alice. She took several deep breaths, dressed only in a thin underslip, her chest no longer compressed.

He stood there, still holding the knife as she stepped out of the remains of the clothes, staring at her.

"Hatter?"

"Um, Alice… is there any clothes in the bag by any chance?"

"Why would—?" She looked up at him then down at her slip, suddenly understanding why Hatter seemed mesmerized. "Oh…"

Alice unzipped the canvas bag, finding a mishmash of clothing. Men's clothing. Clothes that looked vaguely, well, Hatter.

He took the bag from her, rifling through the clothes. A lush velvet coat appeared, along with sneakers. Her sneakers. What were her sneakers doing in his bag?

"This should fit."

The purple coat did fit. It fit her beautifully. That's because it was hers.

_"Fine!" He slammed a purple coat down on the white couch._

He'd given her his coat before. This coat.

Alice buttoned the middle buttons, her feet slipping into the sneakers. "So, flamingos?"

"Flamingos," Hatter echoed, snagging his bag.

*~*~*~*~*~*

They crept along the edge of the Manor, Alice's hand crushing his.

"Don't look down…" he muttered, leading her further out on the ledge. There was a pack of pink mechanical flamingos perched on the edge of the makeshift terrace.

Alice's grip tightened. "I can't do this."

"Trust me, Alice. I'm gonna get us out of here. This is my fault. You wouldn't have come back here without me."

"I don't care. But my dad's here. He's alive."

"That's not possible. He was killed. In the Casino."

Alice shook her head. "Jack brought him back."

They had almost reached the flamingos. "I'll go back for him. But first, I'm getting you out of here."

Hatter led her to the side of one of the birds. He climbed on, reaching his hand out to help her. His bag was slung over his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Hatter," Alice whispered. She took a step back.

"Up there!" a Suit shouted in warning from below.

"Alice, c'mon!"

"Don't worry about me, Hatter. They won't hurt me."

"Alice—"

She gave him a quick kiss. "Go, Hatter. Get to the Looking Glass. I'm right behind you."

He looked crushed, blood trickling down the side of his face. She could feel her heart breaking in two. She loved Hatter too much to risk his life to save her father. She couldn't leave Robert Hamilton behind. He didn't belong in Wonderland anymore than she did.

"Alice…"

"Don't you trust me?"

"I do."

"Go, Hatter. Please… For me?"

He gave her a kiss. "Run…"

Alice nodded, taking the gun he offered her. It was a last resort, the weapon, but if it meant getting all of them out of Wonderland alive, she would pull the trigger.

*~*~*~*~*~*

When Alice stepped back inside the Manor, Suits brushed past her to reach the flamingos. She could hear the mechanical birds whizzing after Hatter. The knot in her stomach grew tighter as the Ten of Clubs appeared in the hallway.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?"

"No."

"The King has been worried sick, as has your father."

"I need to see my dad."

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but the King has given specific orders—"

Alice leveled the gun at the Club's forehead. "I said, I need to see my dad.

The frightened Club nodded.


	4. Alternate and Deleted Scenes Chapter 41

**Alice and What Came After – The Extras**

**Disclaimer:** Nada. Just me, myself, and my demented mind.

**Alternate and Deleted Scenes – Chapter Forty-one**

_ This chapter wasn't running very smoothly. So I decided to cut some of the unnecessary conversations and odd bits. Some of them stayed in different forms._

(_Before Sarah wakes up – in her hospital room…alternate and deleted bits._)

The following day, Sarah rejoined the world of the living. Connor stayed at her side, holding her hand. It was clear to both Alice and Hatter that it had been something between the twins that pulled Sarah back from the brink of death. Wonderland didn't have the kind of magic the twins did.

Neither Sarah nor Connor talked about it. Hatter didn't ask about how his daughter knew her brother had been shot. He also didn't ask how Connor had pulled her back to life. All he knew—all he cared to know—was that they were still alive.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hatter?"

They looked up from the couch to see the newcomer. Dressed in a stylish suit, Chase Heart finally looked like someone worthy of a title.

"Hello," Hatter said, rising up to shake his hand. "You're… you're the one that carried Sarah up here…"

"Yes, yes I did. I'm Chase Heart, the Duchess of Diamonds' son."

"You look like your father," Alice added, shaking the young man's hand as well. "Where is Jack?"

"My father was executed several days ago. He spoke highly of you, Mrs. Hatter."

Alice smiled at him, a small smile. "I'm sorry for your loss. Jack was a good man despite his flaws."

"We are all flawed to some extent," Chase said. "I would like to apologize for all the pain and suffering that my family has put you through over the years."

"That's not necessary—"

"It is. I had the pleasure of getting to know both your children and I can't believe what my family's greed and lust for power has done to them. This never should have happened. Sarah never should have been shot. I'm very sorry…"

Alice looked up into his face, her hand on his. "It's okay, Chase. Really. Thank you for looking after Sarah. Charlie told me that you took care of her in the woods. Thank you…"

Chase nodded. "If there's anything else… anything at all…"

"No, thank you," Hatter said. "Just…take care of Wonderland."

"Oh, you thought—no. I'm not going into politics. No. I'm going to abdicate my throne, my title. My mother will rule. She has a good, strong heart."

"You are you going to abandon your world?" Hatter asked.

"I don't know yet. I just know I no longer care to be a royal."

"I will send for you when Sarah wakes. I'm sure she'd like to see you," Alice said, smiling at the young man.

"Thank you, Mrs. Hatter."

Chase turned and walked away, leaving the Hatter family alone. Connor and Sarah slept on, their hands locked together. Alice turned to her husband for comfort. Hatter put his good arm around her, pulling her in to his chest.

"Don't worry, Alice. Don't…"

(_Alternate and deleted conversation between the Hatters after Sarah wakes – Connor is still out. Sarah has just asked about Connor.)_

"Resting." Hatter helped her lay back down. "Your friend Chase was here…"

"He was?" Sarah looked surprised.

He touched her unruly hair. "He was worried about you. Sarah, did we miss something?"

"Miss what?"

Alice looked at her daughter. "With Chase. Are you…?"

"No… NO! I barely know him. He pulled me up a tree after Connor and I were separated. He stayed with me when the Suits came. He would have followed me anywhere. I sent him away."

"So the two of you aren't… a couple?" Alice asked. "Or do you have feelings for him?"

"Mum! I just met him!"

"Jabberwock, we just want to make sure you're happy. If he makes you happy…we don't want to pull you apart," Hatter said, putting his hat on her head. She half-smiled at him as his other hand took Alice's. "I know it may feel like you just met, but I knew the moment I saw your mother—half-dressed, dripping wet—in my shop that she was special. I knew I loved her."

"I'm not you, dad."

"No, that's true. You're half-and-half. You're torn by the two worlds. You always have been. Even as a baby, you were more Wonderlander than Oyster…"

"Dad, really… can we talk about this later? I'm tired."

Hatter gave her a kiss on her forehead. "Rest, little Jabberwock."

Rest she did, albeit with a heavy heart and a troubled mind.


	5. Alternate & Deleted Scenes

**Alice and What Came After – The Extras**

**Disclaimer:** Nada. Just me, myself, and my demented mind.

**Alternate/Deleted Scenes**

_There were quite often little bits of ideas or starters that I jotted down when planning the next chapter. Here's a few:_

_(Chapter Eight – when Jack visits Alice and Hatter)_

Jack promised to return within a week. It was painfully clear to Hatter that the king's reason for returning was to convince Alice to leave him.

There was no way Hatter would allow King Jack to drag Alice back to Wonderland without him. Alice chose him, not Jack.

Hatter planned to be the one to bring Alice back to Wonderland one day. That was if Alice wanted to go back. If not, Hatter would understand. Wonderland had taken her father's life.

Hatter just wanted to make Alice happy. If traveling through the Looking Glass made her happy then they would travel. If not, then he would travel alone.

He just hadn't counted on Alice becoming pregnant. Or finding out that the King of Wonderland had a son with the Duchess. Jack insisted on their visit. Alice came through the mirror with him.

(_Chapter 10-13 –this would have worked __**if**__ Jack wasn't under his mother's control…)_

Wonderland weddings were a strange and wondrous occasion. The wedding of Wonderland's King was even more lavish than many royal weddings.

Not that Alice cared. She only had eyes for Hatter and his dress clothes and the black top hat he wore. Not that keeping his attention was a challenge in her new blue dress.

Hatter tore off her dress that morning. His hat landed on his rack as they tumbled back into his bed. Alice didn't mind.

Two months after their return, Hatter moved into a larger apartment. Alice moved in a week later.

Not long after, Alice learned she was pregnant. Hatter was off in Wonderland when she took the test.

(_Chapter Seventeen – This chapter seemed to get the most revisions. This is from the tail-end of the chapter after Hatter was shot.)_

"Alice, you need to run," the Carpenter said.

Alice barely glanced up from Hatter, who was still unconscious. "I can't leave him here."

"You won't make it to the Looking Glass with him. You'll both be trapped here."

"What about a flamingo?"

"Those are dangerous machines, Jellybean."

She looked down at Hatter, her mind made up. "He's coming with me. I can't leave him here."

Robert Hamilton sighed. "You love this Hatter?"

"Too much, Daddy. Like you and mom."

He gave his only child a hug. "Let's get out of here and go home, Jellybean."

*  
With her father's help, Alice got Hatter to the flamingo deck. He was slowly coming around when they reached the birds.

"Alice?" Hatter groaned.

She smiled at him. "You're awake."

"'course I am. What did you expect?"

"Who is that, Alice?" Robert asked, looking down below at a horseman.

"Charlie."

"Ya mean that crazy old coot made it?" Hatter sounded amused.

"You saw Charlie?"

"How do ya think I got away from the Jabberwock?"

"The Jabberwock?"

Hatter shrugged. "Wasn't my idea. Your buddy, Jack, left me out there to die."

Alice didn't respond. Hatter was right. Jack tried to kill him. Just like he tried to marry her. Jack was behind this mess.

"Alice, we should go. I can't take any more bullets today..."

She helped her lover stand. This was it. Flying was their only way out of the Manor. Hatter was too weak for anything else.

_(Chapter Thirty – the original very bland birth scene)_

The hospital insisted that Alice come in to be looked at. Hatter hailed a cab for them, taking a small overnight bag with them. Alice clutched his hand, screaming ever so often.

"She's definitely in labor," the doctor said, after getting Alice set up on a bed.

Alice cried out, nearly breaking Hatter's hand as another contraction hit.

"Can't you give her something for the pain?" Hatter asked.

"We can try."

"This is your fault," Alice groaned as the doctor gave her an epidural. "All your fault."

"I'm sorry?" he tried.

"Touch me again and I swear I will cut your dick off..."

Hatter flinched. Robert had warned him that women giving birth quite often made horrific threats. That didn't make the threats any less painful.

"Alice, breathe. C'mon..."

She glared at him.

"Okay, Mrs. Hatter, we need you to push now, " the doctor said.

Panting, Alice pushed, gripping Hatter's mostly numb hand.

"That's good."

"I mean it, we're never having sex again."

"Push!"

Alice gritted her teeth.

A few more frantic pushes and the doctor handed a small infant off to a nearby nurse. "You're almost there. One more push."

With a yell, Alice gripped Hatter's hand and the second twin came out into the world.

"Look, Alice... they're so tiny," Hatter muttered.

"Congratulations, you have a healthy little girl and a son."

"Can I hold 'em?" Hatter asked. Alice looked exhausted.

The nurse placed the wailing girl in his arms. Her dark hair stuck up at all angles around her pink face. She calmed down as Hatter rocked her and spoke to her.

He smiled at the tiny baby. "Sarah... Sarah Hatter."

Hatter put her in Alice's arms as the nurse wrapped up their son. He took his other baby over to Alice.

She looked up at Hatter. "Connor. I think he's a Connor."

"Connor and Sarah."


	6. Original Concept Cont'd

**Alice and What Came After – The Extras**

**Disclaimer:** Nada. Just me, myself, and my demented mind.

**Original Concept (Cont'd)**

_Before I abandoned my original idea, I wrote out several varies bits that stuck in my head. They're scattered throughout this document – not in any order at all. As you can see, I was trying to get a feel for the characters and the changes in their lives. I'd hoped to work this into the story later, but it never fit. So, enjoy!_

_**(Back story notes…and outline/summary)**_

Alice and Hatter are living together and have been for years. They did not bother with marriage for several years after their daughter is born. She's athletic and curious, much like her mother, but she has her father's mischievous qualities.

Wonderland falls into the hands of Jack Heart's sons—one who is running Hatter's home into the ground and the other who is organizing a new resistance.

When her mother is taken, she has to journey into Wonderland on her own. She joins forces with one of Jack's sons in hopes of rescuing her mother and finding her father before it's "off with their heads" for the Hatter family.

_**(Chapter Two: Damon's POV – I was still trying to figure out how I wanted his name spelled when I wrote this.)**_

An alliance with the White Queen only increased Damon Heart's power over Wonderland. The new King of Wonderland had already successfully seized power, but having the elusive White Queen join his side just solidified his place of power.

His father didn't have the thirst for power that he did. Jack Heart was far too mild-mannered to be an effective leader. He also had a fondness for Oysters, people from the Old World that fell through the Looking Glass into Wonderland. People like the renowned Alice of Legend.

Oysters were no longer harvested for emotions. They had no place in Wonderland. All Oysters were either returned to their homes or killed. That was how it always should have been.

Unfortunately, his father was too soft when it came to Oysters. He even had a fling with Alice of Legend.

Alice chose another man over his sniveling coward of a father. What irked Daman the most was that Alice's husband was another Wonderlander. His father gave her husband permission to travel freely between the worlds. Alice herself never traveled, but she allowed her husband to return.

Tainted by the time spent in her world, the man known as Hatter should never have been allowed back in. He gave people too many ideas and caused trouble.

Sleeping with an Oyster became treason as soon as he took power. All Wonderlanders found harboring an Oyster were punished; many put to death. But Hatter skipped back through the Looking Glass before the order went into effect.

To make matters worse, upon his return, he freed Jack Heart from prison. Luckily the Suits were on hand to stop Hatter and shoot his father. Jack stumbled through the mirror and the Hatter ran. He was eventually caught and sentenced to death.

Damon gave the orders to travel through the Looking Glass and to retrieve the Oyster known as Alice. The uncooperative bitch was dragged through the rabbit hole, only to be kept separate from her husband. Dr. Dee and Dr. Dum were most pleased to have the Hatters back in the Truth Room.

All was well, until information reached his ears that his Suits had missed a Hatter. A daughter—half-Oyster and half-Wonderlander. An all-around problem. He needed to make an example out of her.

Alice of Legend's daughter was cunning and as tricky as her father. But if she cared about her parents, he knew she would show up to her father's execution.

_**(Hatter's execution – Damon's POV)**_

Dressed in red, the Heart family color, King Damon stood in the stands, scanning for any signs of trouble. No known members of the resistance seemed to be present. The increased number of Suits helped keep the crowd under control.

The prisoners were led out, David Hatter in the lead. His hat was tattered as were his clothes from his trip through the mirror and subsequent abuse at the hands of the doctors. Not that Damon cared. Hatter deserved it for screwing an Oyster.

A few prisoners behind walked his wife. Dressed in blue jeans and a shirt, Alice Hatter looked extremely out of place in their world. Her head was down.

The prisoners took seats across from the platform. All of them except Hatter, who was paraded on stage.

Damon traveled down to the platform. All eyes were on him as he stepped onto the stage.

"David Hatter has been found guilty of harboring an Oyster, traveling between the worlds, consorting with an Oyster, marrying an Oyster, sleeping with said Oyster, and fathering a half-breed child," read one of the Suits. "He has been sentenced to death."

There were scattered cheers from the audience.

"Any last words, Mr. Hatter?" asked the Suit.

"Yeah…s'matter of fact, I do. Screw… you…"

At the bottom of the stands, Alice Hatter locked eyes with her husband, but they didn't speak.

He could see her lips move, but none of that mattered.

Damon Heart picked up the sword as two of his Suits forced Hatter to kneel. His neck was placed on the block, straw on either side to absorb his blood. Beheadings had been his grandmother's choice of punishment. It was a tradition he enjoyed honoring.

He touched the blade to Hatter's neck, making sure he was in the right position.

Hatter barely struggled.

Heart lifted the sword high, ready to swing it down.

Mid swing, something hit him in the side, knocking him down. The sword clattered, skidding across the platform.

He turned around, glimpsing a dark haired, hazel eyed creature in a hat. Another blasted Hatter.

The half-breed daughter.

His lips curled into a sneer as he reached for her neck. If he couldn't chop off her father's head, breaking her neck would suffice.

Hatter brought his head up, smacking into one of the Suits after he heard the sword hit. He rolled away from the chopping block, glad to have kept his head, even if it was only temporary. It was a start.

"Alice?" he called hoarsely, disoriented by rolling around.

"Get him!" Suits roared behind him.

He scurried forward, snatching up the sword. Using a hat trick, he cut his wrists free, flipped the sword over his head, and caught it in his left hand while his newly freed right fist flew into the face of a bewildered Suit. He switched hands with the sword, calling for his wife again.

_**(Chapter One: Alice recaps her life…)**_

Alice had no ambition to return to Wonderland. As much as she loved Hatter, she didn't love his world. Occasionally she would miss one of her Wonderland friends, like Charlie, the loopy White Knight, but Hatter never pressured her to return. In fact, when Hatter would visit Wonderland, he would often drag a mutual friend back home through the Looking Glass to see Alice.

Hatter's trips were a necessity. He tried very hard to fit into her world, but she knew he was torn. He'd given up everything he knew just to be with her. She'd asked far too much of him.

Love could only do so much.

Alice missed him the entire time he was gone, even if sometimes it was only twenty minutes or an hour for her—she knew it was probably as much as five times longer for him. Neither one of them understood exactly how the time difference worked.

They worked around it. When Hatter was home, they spent as much time as they could together. It made the time apart bearable.

At least until she learned some disturbing news about herself.

Two years after Hatter came to her world and they moved in together, Alice found out that she was pregnant. For most couples, it wouldn't be too much of a hassle. But they weren't most couples.

Her secret fear had always been that Hatter would one day leave her. Even knowing that her own father hadn't left under his own steam didn't dissuade her fears about Hatter. She trusted him, but trust didn't mean that the mirror wouldn't fail or he wouldn't be killed. He had enemies on both sides of the Glass, the least of which was Dodo.

The Resistance no longer wanted his head on a platter, but the danger would never truly end for Hatter. He wasn't the type to keep his nose clean for long. He tried, oh, how he tried. But even a reformed con man slipped up every now and again.

However, his delight at the news overshadowed her doubt. It made her feel foolish in a way. In a romantic—well, for Hatter, that was—fashion he proposed to her. He even had a ring. Sure, it was a Wonderland ring, with leftover tea in the stone, but it was the thought that counted.

She turned him down. Watching his face fall hurt her heart. She might have been better off to ruin one of his hats than tell him that she didn't want to marry him.

Once Sarah came into their lives, she agreed to an engagement. He loved their little girl with all his heart. He even told her about Wonderland, stories that enthralled the young girl. She was too young to grasp the dangers associated with Wonderland, but that was okay.

"Where's my little jabberwock?" Hatter called, stepping into the small apartment they lived in.

Sarah squealed, running to her father.

Calling their daughter a jabberwock started as a joke before turning into a pet name for Sarah. She loved the silly name.

Sarah understood that the mirror in their living room was special. She watched her dad disappear and reappear through it often enough to know it was a doorway. It was one of two mirrors that existed.

As a favor, Jack Heart, the new king of Wonderland, broke the mirror into two pieces. One piece stayed in their living room and the other was in her office at the karate studio. The secondary mirror went straight to Hatter's tea shop in Wonderland.

"Never hurts to have a back-up plan, y'know," Hatter explained when he first showed her the mirror. He never completely trusted Jack Heart; sometimes she didn't either. A back-up plan made perfect sense to her since modern technology didn't travel well through the Looking Glass and back.

The back-up plan made sure he could either get home to her world or she could travel straight to him. With Sarah in their lives, it was a necessary move.

"How was your trip?" she asked later that night, once Sarah was fast asleep in her own room.

"Same ole, same ole," Hatter muttered, lying beside her in their bed. His favorite tan hat rested cock-eyed on a nearby lamp.

"Is Charlie still around?"

"Still mad as a box of frogs."

She smiled. If there was anyone in Wonderland she missed on a regular basis it was the crazy old knight.

"Who else did you see?"

"Dormie's minding the shop," he said. "When he's awake."

She had to suppress a laugh. The only time she'd met Doormouse, or Dormie for short, he'd been asleep at the podium of Hatter's shop.

"And Ratty… foul as ever," he muttered with a wrinkled nose.

"What about Jack?" she asked, even though her ex-boyfriend was a sore subject between them. They did owe Jack a bit for allowing Hatter to travel back and forth, but it was Jack who caused Alice to fall through the mirror in the first place.

"Still with Duchess. Dunno why, but they've got kids. So I heard."

Alice snuggled closer to her husband. Hatter wasn't the touchy-feely sort, but she missed having him in her life even though it'd only been a matter of hours this time. He held her close, her head resting on his chest. 

"Good for him."

_**(Sarah goes through the back-up mirror…)**_

Sarah splashed through a puddle, the water soaking through her jeans as she raced toward her mother's studio. The karate studio was shared by several instructors, but her mom kept a private office there. She even made sure that electronic locks were installed on a back entrance for times like this.

Her shaking fingers punched into the code. She yanked the door open, disappearing into the dark hallway. She ran her hand along the wall, hurrying to the alarm panel.

Her sneakers squeaked as she shuffled along to Alice's office. There was a full-length mirror leaning against one of the walls. It had a border much like the one in their living room. Her father sometimes traveled through the smaller mirror, but not very often.

Sarah took a deep breath and dove into the mirror, falling, falling, falling…

A blade of grass tickled her nose when she came to.

With a groan, Sarah Hatter turned over onto her side. The room spun for a moment before coming into focus.

A white chair sat a few feet away, lovingly reupholstered back home. Her mother often told her that the retro-styled chair was one of her father's favorite parts of his office. He'd been sitting in that same chair when her parents met for the first time.

Of course, like most of his office, it was tossed and ruined by a man called Mad March and his cronies during her mother's misadventures in Wonderland.

Sarah climbed into the chair, her nose turning to sniff at the fabric. It held her father's scent—a tiny whiff of cologne that Alice bought for him one Christmas mixed with another unknown smell she associated with him.

She relaxed, curled up in her father's chair, in his office, in Wonderland. This world had been her father's home, which meant part of her belonged there as well.

This was not how she planned on visiting.

Exhaustion set in. Sarah snuggled in the chair, imagining it was one big hug from her father as she drifted off to sleep.

_**(Sarah meets the Doormouse)**_

"Hatter? Hatter?" Dormouse muttered, shaking Sarah.

She groaned, slowly coming around. "Da?"

"Hat—Sorry, miss…"

Sarah rubbed her eyes and yawned. "S'okay… who are you?"

"Dormourse, but you can call me Dormie, miss…"

"Dormie? Da talks about you," she said wistfully. The little critter-like Dormie seemed to glow at the idea of someone talking about him. Or was Dormie a her? She couldn't keep track of who was what in Wonderland.

"What are you doing here, miss? How did you get in?"

"Miss? Dormie… it's me… Sarah… Sarah Hatter."

"Hatter… Hatter's daughter?"

Sarah nodded. "Have you seen my dad? He's missing. Someone named Jack Heart said he… he'd been arrested?"

"That's right, Miss Hatter… your father has been arrested."


	7. Original Chapter Fortythree

**Alice and What Came After – The Extras**

**Disclaimer:** Nope. Nada. Just my twisted plot and OCs.

**Original Chapter Forty-three**

_This felt unnecessary at parts. Some of it worked, some of it didn't. But I thought, oh well, I'd let you all take a look at it. It's unfinished. _

The double doors closed, leaving brother, sister, and lizard alone.

"I'm sorry, Sarah," Connor whispered.

"You're sorry? Conn, do you even understand what just happened?"

Connor closed one eye, staring at her. "Your boyfriend just dumped you?"

She cuffed him up the side of his head. "He wasn't my boyfriend… at least, not officially…"

Sadness rolled off her in waves. Connor put an arm around her. "I'm sorry… really."

Her defenses crumbled, and she fell into her brother's arms. Connor held her as she sobbed and muttered. He tried to soothe her, but he was mainly just there to listen and hold her. Her feelings were overwhelming him, but he wasn't about to leave her alone. Rex sat on the couch next to them, chirping.

"I really liked him, Conn…"

"I know, but ya know… there's others out there."

She shook her head. "But it was like what happened with mum and dad—one of those love-at-first-sight things. Even the arguing…"

Connor sighed. "We aren't mum and dad. We don't have to find love the same way as them. Besides… who knows? Maybe later on he'll change his mind…"

"Maybe…"

*~*~*~*~*~*

Alice kept organizing people and paperwork. There was a lot to do in order to undo Damon Heart's damage. She drafted proclamations to ease the worry of the citizens. She got rid of the law against Oysters and half-bloods. Anyone currently imprisoned for crimes relating to helping Oysters were set free.

Suits took flamingos around all of Wonderland, spreading the news that their Queen, Queen Alice, had returned and taken control. They posted proclamations and invitations for a reception to be held in her honor, as well as a funeral service to be held for Jack Heart, their murdered monarch.

Hatter offered suggestions and watched his wife take control of his home. She took to it naturally, like he'd always known she would. She had good ideas and people were eager to listen and to help her. After several hours, he kissed her on the lips and whispered, "I'll be back."

Alice looked up from her makeshift desk, her fingers smudged with ink. "What?"

"I'm going to go check on the twins. I'll be right back."

She nodded, clearly distracted. "Okay…"

Hatter smiled at his wife again, shaking his head at her newfound dedication. He found his way back upstairs to the medical wing and the twin's room. Unfortunately, neither one of the dark-haired teenagers was inside. Even Rex, Sarah's sleeping companion, was gone.

After the events of the past few days, Hatter's reaction was understandable, if not expected.

"Sarah?! Connor?!" he shouted, pushing doors open to other rooms. "Jabberwock?!"

A few Suits appeared, probably due to the noise he was making. "My King, what's wrong?" asked the Ten of Clubs, wearing his bowler instead of his ridiculous club-shaped hat.

"Sarah and Connor… they aren't in their room. Where are my kids?"

"Split up," Ten ordered, directing his Suits into various directions and wings of the massive castle. "Come with me, Your Majesty."

Hatter shook his head. "No. Where are they? How could this… how could this happen?"

"It's probably nothing—"

"My daughter was SHOT the other day. She should be asleep…not gone."

"Your Majesty—"

"You know what? Go tell my wife what you just told me. Tell her our children are missing and you haven't a damn clue where they are!"

Hatter stalked off, leaving the stunned Club in the hallway.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Chase Heart returned to his suite of rooms. He gathered his belongings, or at least the ones that mattered. There was no sense staying at the castle for much longer. He would leave as soon as his father was in the ground. He would do that much for his family.

Then he would go explore his home world…and maybe, just maybe, go through the Looking Glass and see what lay beyond Wonderland.

_Maybe even New York…_

He shook his head. He wouldn't go to New York. New York was Sarah's home. He couldn't—wouldn't—disrupt her life again. It didn't matter what she thought at the moment. The truth was, she deserved someone better than a disgraced prince of another world. It would be too much to ask her to be with him after all the damage his family had done.

Plus, she was young. There was no future for them together. They were far too different.

Chase snapped his suitcase shut. He had to get away from Sarah before she got hurt again—before _he_ hurt her.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"JABBERWOCK!" Hatter yelled, examining all the rooms he could find. His greatest fear was that she was no longer in the castle or had collapsed somewhere.

He threw open the doors to every room he passed, scanning for his children.

"Dad?" Connor called, stepping out of a room further down. Clinging to him, her head buried on his shoulder, was Sarah.

Hatter ran to them. "Connor… Jabberwock…"

"What's wrong, Dad? Did something happen to mum?" Connor asked.

"Where have you been?"

"What are you talking about? We've been in Sarah's room…Chase showed us where it was."

"What?" Hatter looked furious.

"Didn't you...? Oh…" Connor fell silent.

Sarah stirred a bit. "Daddy?"

Hatter softened, taking his daughter from his son's arms. She collapsed against him, letting him pick her up in his arms. "Jabberwock…Daddy's here…"

"I'm tired…"

"I know. Let's get you back down to the medical wing…"

"Chase is gone…" she muttered, half-asleep.

"Ssh, my little Jabberwock. Go back to sleep, luv."

*~*~*~*~*~*

As Alice came rushing into the medical wing, clearly upset, Hatter had tucked Sarah back into her bed. He'd checked her bandages, noting that blood had seeped through them and her shirt. He was about to ring a nurse.

"Hatter!"

His wife fell into his arms. He hugged her back. "Alice…"

"Are they okay? What's going on?"

"They're fine. They were in another room. No one hurt them…"

"Except Chase. He broke Sarah's heart," Connor muttered from where he sat on his bed.

"What? Chase…Jack's son?"

Hatter nodded. "Connor, you tell her."

Alice sank down on the bed next to him as Hatter disappeared down the hallway. "What's going on?"

"Well, um, Chase met us in the woods and well, it seems that they hit it off. She had a crush on him—puppy love I guess. Anyways, he just basically dumped her after showing us her suite. It crushed her. I've never seen her cry before."


	8. Between the Glass Alternate Chap 3 & 4

**Alice and What Came After: The Extras**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything rights related to _Alice_—it belongs to those fine folks at SyFy and Nick Willing. Rex, Sid, Nancy, Helen and other things/people of that nature belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures and I'm just borrowing. Sarah, Connor, and Chase are my own creations.

**Between the Glass – Alternate Chapters 3 & 4**

_Here is the first version of chapter three. Some of the original parts were in the final version, others were completely deleted, and some were rearranged and kept. The main difference is Helen's demands and Sarah's escape of sorts. It does end abruptly because I decided to try a different track._

**Chapter Three:**

Connor found Ratty and Dormouse, or at least what was left of them, on his way out of the tea shop. In the barn around the corner, the two men were lying dead. Judging by the stench and decay, they'd only been dead a few days.

Murdered.

Connor was sick just outside the barn, vomiting until his stomach was beyond empty. He'd never seen a dead body before—especially not of someone he knew. He'd gotten to know his father's old friends rather well over the past five years. They used to just be characters in a story until he actually met them.

Now they were gone.

He wiped his mouth, grateful for the bottle of water Sarah had snuck into the side pocket of his backpack.

_Sarah? Hello?_

Still nothing. He couldn't get even the slightest emotion from her.

_So much for a vacation… this is the last time I listen to you…_

*~*~*~*~*~*

The ride in the SUV was short. Helen kept a firm grip on her, even after she pulled out a gun. She kept it loosely aimed at Sarah.

When the vehicle stopped, Helen dragged her out by her hair. Sarah hissed, her hair almost being yanked out.

Helen propelled her into a building. Alarms went off all around them, but none of the commotion seemed to bother Helen Cutter. In fact, she seemed to relish it as they made their way down a long corridor and into a circular room.

Computers and technological equipment filled the room. There were a lot of people as well, including one that looked very familiar.

His back was to her, his dark hair topped with a fedora. He wore a waistcoat over his bright red shirt. She couldn't help but smile at that.

Helen stopped moving forward and pressed the gun to her head. "Oh, Connor… there's someone here you might want to see…"

The man she'd been looking at—the man who looked just like her father—turned around at Helen's words. He seemed startled—even more so when his brown eyes met hers. He was a bit younger than her dad, yet still older than her brother.

"Dad?" Sarah asked quietly, a bit unsure.

"That's right, Connor. Your daughter. Little Sarah, remember?" Helen taunted, pressing the gun harder into her head.

This man, this lookalike of her father and brother, looked very unnerved. "Helen, I don't know what you think you're doing—"

"I'll kill her, Connor. Just like I killed _Nick_."

That name got him riled up. It took two people—a woman with dark hair and tan skin and a man in all black—to keep him from attacking Helen. It was clear that both of them shared his contempt for Helen.

Helen jerked on her hair, causing Sarah to cry out in pain.

Connor broke free. "Let her go, Helen."

"No, no, dear boy. It doesn't work like that. You have to give me something in return… or I will leave her for the Predators."

He paled. "You already destroyed the artifact, Helen. What more could you want?"

Sarah stared at him. _So I guess you're Connor Temple…but I'm not Sarah Temple… am I?_

"I want you to bring Stephen back… alive. Or I kill your daughter. It's that simple, really."

*~*~*~*~*~*

_Bloody fucking Wonderland…_

Hatter kicked a rock as he made his way across a field. The grass was tall, almost up to his knees, and most certainly hiding some creepy critters. But he didn't care. All he wanted to do right now was find out what went wrong and where the hell his children were.

_Never shoulda come back here…_

He cursed himself for insisting that Connor and Sarah learn about Wonderland. For giving them dreams of a magical place that had lost its magic long ago.

This was his fault. If anything happened to them, he would never forgive himself.

Hatter skirted the edge of a forest. Just beyond it was a small lake with a dock. If luck was on his side, there would be a boat waiting there. He could take that boat directly to the Looking Glass hall.

If not, then he'd have to take the more dangerous route—through the forest of the Jabberwock.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Stephen's dead, Helen."

"I know that, stupid boy. But you've been playing with anomalies, haven't you? You've been playing with time—trying to bring Nick back. I know you have."

"This is between you and me… leave her out of this," Connor insisted.

"Oh, no, I couldn't. Where would the fun be in that?"

Sarah struggled a bit in Helen's grip. Her hand brushed over her pocket, touching the small knife her father had slipped her. Her eyes lit up.

"I can't bring back the dead, Helen. You know that."

"Really? Then how am I still here? Don't you remember… a raptor killed me? Ask Danny Quinn."

"Just let the girl go, Helen."

"The 'girl', Connor? Are you afraid to call her what she is—your daughter?"

Sarah's hand closed around her knife. She slowly drew it out of her pocket, keeping it tucked in her palm.

"My daughter's only a few years old…"

"She likes to meddle in time, just like her father. Just like Nick. I wonder what would happen if I killed her…"

The gun barrel pressed against her head again.

Sarah flipped the switchblade open. She stuck the knife into Helen's side with a vicious thrust before throwing herself toward the floor. The gun in Helen's hand exploded.

She barely hit the floor before Connor Temple grabbed her hand, pulling her up. His two friends were at his side, the man in black holding a gun. The woman helped Sarah to her feet.

"C'mon, we need to run…" Connor said.

Run they did as gunfire continued behind them.

"Becker!" the woman called.

"Don't worry about action man, he can take care of himself…"

The trio ducked into a lab. Connor pulled her down to the ground, facing her eye-to-eye. "Now, who the 'ell are you and how do you know Helen?"

"First, who are you?" Sarah countered.

"Connor Temple."

"Sarah Hatter. And I don't know Helen."

"Really? 'Cause you seemed aweful cozy back there…"

"Look, this is obviously a really bad dream or a nightmare. I know I hit my head, but this is getting ridiculous…"

"Okay, where are you from? What time?"

"Time? The twenty-first century of course."

"Do you know where you are?" Connor tried.

"No. One moment was in New York stepping through a mirror, the next I'm in some awful deserted place with abandoned cars and something called 'Predators'. And not the movie-kind, either. I think…"

"So you were in the future? Was this anomaly in the mirror?"

"What? No, it's a one-way mirror. It goes to Wonderland—to my dad's shop. There's a mirror there. You just step through one side and out the other."

"Just like an anomaly."

"No… it's a mirror," Sarah insisted. "A mirror. A Looking Glass."

Connor sighed. "Look, I don't know what you're on about but the only way to the future is through an anomaly. As for this Wonderland stuff… that's a book and a movie. It's not real. You're as crazy as Helen…"

"I'm not crazy. Besides… why do you look like my dad?"

"What?"

"You look just like my dad… only younger. And my brother."

"Your dad?"

"David… David Hatter."

"Hatter? Like the Mad Hatter?"

Sarah nodded. "A distant relative. My mum's maiden name is Hamilton. She's a descendant of Alice Liddell."

"Just like the books…"

"Yes! Because Wonderland is real. And I need to get there. I have to find my brother…"

"Your brother? Who looks like me?" Connor said, still looking confused.

"I know this sounds crazy, but you could be his double. Or my father's."

"A doppelganger?"

"I dunno. Maybe."

Connor cleared his throat. "Do you, uh, have a picture?"

Sarah nodded. "On my phone… there's pictures of all of us. But it's broken—I crushed it when I fell between the Glass."

"Between?"

"I was stepping between New York and Wonderland when I fell straight down. I ended up in this… future with Helen. I don't know how."

"So you did fall through an anomaly."

"No! Yes! I don't know!"

_Chapter four had one major difference that led me to do a 'what if' scenario—in this version, what if Sarah and Connor were both dead? It's an interesting idea, but I decided to go with the more Claudia Brown-way in the final. But it's fun to think about the implications, isn't it? Again, abrupt ending._

**Chapter Four:**

It wasn't long before one of Connor's friends knocked on the door, giving them the all clear signal. Connor helped Sarah stand up. "First, you should get checked out and make sure you're okay."

"No, there's no time. I need to get back to my brother."

"Listen, there's no telling how hurt you might be."

"Look, I just need to find Connor. This is my fault. He didn't want to go to Wonderland. He only went because of me," Sarah protested.

"Do you have pictures of your brother?"

She nodded, handing him the shattered phone. Connor pried the back off, pulling out a tiny chip. "Follow me."

They went back into the main room. The other Connor took the chip and slipped into a slot on a computer. A few clicks later, her pictures were on a large screen. He flicked through them, stopping on a picture of Sarah and Connor together.

"This… is your brother?"

"My twin," Sarah stated. "That's from last year, before we graduated."

"Graduated high school?"

"College," she corrected. "With honors."

Connor seemed impressed. "And you're from New York?"

"Yeah, born and raised."

He switched screens, pulling up a database. "Okay, in America, you have driver's licenses?"

"Are you kidding me? Hardly anyone in New York has one!"

"A passport?"

She shook her head. "Social Security cards, school IDs…"

"Social Security. Your numbers and your brother's."

Sarah closed her eyes, reciting her number. She stumbled over Connor's, but her brilliant brother could never remember his own number, so she'd been forced to learn both.

The other Connor went wild at the keyboard despite his damaged hands. Keys clacked as he flew through page after page of results.

"Born in New York City, New York to David and Alice Hatter. Sarah Jessica Hatter and Connor Kyle Hatter – twins," he read aloud. "You're the older one."

"Just by a few minutes."

This lookalike smiled at her briefly. Then he went a few pages further. "This is not good."

"What? What is it?"

She inched closer to the screen, trying to make out the lines of text.

"According to this, you're dead. You died five years ago. You're survived by your brother, mother, and father."

"I'm dead? How?"

Sarah almost ended up in his lap.

"It doesn't say…" Connor dug a bit further. "You were shot during a mugging. You were fifteen."

"No… that's not… that's wrong!"

_Fifteen… when I was fifteen I died in Wonderland. I was brought back to life and then I came home. I didn't… no…_

Connor spun around. "All the official records say you died. Murder."

"I was shot, but I came back. Connor brought me back."

"I didn't—" he sighed. "Let me see what happened to him."

Sarah chewed on her lip as this other Connor went back to work at the computer. What he was searching through, she had no idea. Computers were her brother's field—not hers. Hers was fighting. And tea. God, she would kill for a decent cup of tea.

"Connor Hatter passed on after a week-long coma. Mr. Hatter, 20, fell into a coma after being struck by a cab after pushing another passer-by out of the way. A recent graduate of college, Mr. Hatter is the only surviving child of David and Alice Hatter, owners of A Taste of Wonderland Tea Shop. Connor Hatter's twin sister was tragically killed in a mugging five years earlier…"

"No…. NO!"

Sarah ran out of the room, not even knowing where she was going. She just needed to get out of this place. She needed to go home.

_Connor… no… _

Her brother, her twin, her other half—dead. Dead on the same day they'd both disappeared. How was it possible? How could she, too, have died at fifteen and Connor been killed five years later? How could she be twenty if she were dead?

She collapsed on cool cement near a few silver trucks. She pulled her knees up to her chest, tears following down her cheeks.

It was there that Connor found her several minutes later. "Sarah, I'm so sorry…"

She didn't even look up.


	9. Between the Glass Alternate Scenes Ch 14

**Alice and What Came After: The Extras**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except my original characters and demented plots.

**Between the Glass: Chapter 14 - Alternate & Deleted Scenes**

_The first draft of this chapter was a royal mess. That mess is staying on my eReader where I touch-typed it. The second draft was better and that's where these extras are from. First up are the deleted bits of the first meeting between Connor and Kyle. It ran a little long, so I cut parts of the dialogue in order to streamline the chapter. Here's the second draft of their meeting. The first draft involved Connor attempting to use his cell phone and is useless due to continuity errors._

Back in the wilderness of Wonderland, Connor Hatter awoke with a massive headache and his hands bound behind his back.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he grumbled to himself. Sarah would have been more aware of her surroundings. She wouldn't have been jumped by these… savages.

But he wasn't Sarah and she wasn't there. He was alone.

"This has to be a nightmare…"

"No, this is real. I promise," a familiar voice said. "It would be easier if it a nightmare though."

He looked up only to see an older version of himself. A wilder version complete with long hair and the beginnings of a beard. There were a few scars on his face.

"Who the 'ell are you?"

"Kyle Heart. Who are you?"

"Oh my God…" he whispered. " I'm Connor Hatter. I'm you in a way. I think…"

For once in his life, Connor looked and felt unsure. Judging by the gravestones, he had ended up in some twisted version of Wonderland—a version where he was a man named Kyle. He wasn't Sarah's little sister and David Hatter wasn't their father. Not here.

"What?"

Connor cleared his throat, moving on to what he knew for sure. Some parts were the same for both of their life stories. He knew that much. If he started with the past, there was a chance he could earn Kyle's trust.

"Your mother was Alice of Legend. She followed Jack Heart here but she fell in love with David Hatter. They moved to New York. A while later they were tricked back here. Your mother was shot. Hatter got her back through the Glass.

"You were born in New York along with a twin sister. Her name was Sarah. We were traveling to Wonderland when she disappeared. Now I'm here and everything's changed. Including Damon."

"How do you know all this?"

"I'm you. Well, if your—our parents had escaped. In my world, Damon Heart murdered his father and shot Sarah. I killed Damon five years ago. Well, five years ago in New York time… I'm not sure how long it's been here…"

"So what are you saying?" this other version of him asked.

"We need to fix this. Where is Jessica? Your sister?"

Kyle sighed. "Dead. Jessica is dead."

"What?"

Connor felt his chest constrict. _This isn't possible… she can't be… no…_

"No one's seen or heard from her in over fifteen years. Not since we were both disinherited and banished."

"How do you know she's dead?"

Kyle scoffed. "Take a look around, mini-me. If my sister was alive, do you think Wonderland would look like this? No."

"When did all this start to happen?"

"Around the same time my half-brother, Damon, took power. He's the King now—the King of Hearts and of Wonderland. His advisor is our grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Heart. He's the reason that Wonderland is in ruins. He's ordered the death of anyone even _suspected_ of plotting against him. He's paranoid and because of it, at least a third of Wonderland has been destroyed. People. Property. Anything that stands in his way," Kyle said softly, with a hint of disgust at his half-brother's actions.

"What about the Looking Glass?"

"It just shut down one day. Rumor has it that some woman is getting it fixed. The plan is bring Oysters back to Wonderland for the tea trade."

Connor paled. If Damon succeeded, the entire future of Wonderland would vanish. Wonderland wouldn't last long if Emotion Tea regained its popularity.

"We have to stop them," Connor insisted, facing his older self. "We need to stop Damon."

"That's impossible. Even considering overthrowing Damon is treason. You'll get us both killed."

Connor sighed. "Not if you and your little 'friends' help me. Damon can be defeated. I've done it before. He won't know what hit him."

"My friends?"

He nodded. "Yeah, the other… refugees?"

Kyle frowned, puzzled. "Refugees? Don't you mean the Resistance?"

"_That's_ the Resistance?" Connor asked, staring at the group of five men and women wearing rags and carrying makeshift weapons. These were the same bunch of people who had kidnapped him in the woods.

"What's left of it. Well, there's maybe twenty others scattered throughout Wonderland."

"What the 'ell happened?"

"Damon had them murdered."

Connor closed his eyes, remembering the bodies of Dormouse and the Ratcatcher. He thought about his mother's grave, his sister and father's disappearance (and likely deaths), and Damon's rule in this alternate version.

"We have to stop him. Sarah would've stopped them."

"Who's Sarah?" Kyle asked, his eyebrows raised.

"My sister. She's my Jessica. That's actually her middle name. Sarah Jessica Hatter. I'm Connor Kyle Hatter."

"And your mother is Alice… Alice of Legend?"

"Yeah, Alice Hamilton of New York. She's my—our mum. D'you know you look like 'im?"

"Like who?" It was Kyle's turn to frown.

"Our dad. David Hatter. The Mad Hatter. Owns the old Tea House."

Kyle stretched his legs out. "The Mad Hatter? My father is Jack Heart."

"No… if it was Jack, you'd be blond. You're a Hatter… like me. Damon doesn't share our blood. Neither does Chase."

"You know Chase?"

"Yeah, unfortunately. He broke my sister's heart."

"You mean… they were…?" Kyle's words faded. He ended up using hand motions to get his point across about Jessica and Chase doing the horizontal tango. The look of pure disgust never left his face.

"Ummm, yup. They're not related though—we're not related to the Hearts. We're Liddells—the true rulers of Wonderland. Not Hearts. God no," Connor explained quickly.

Kyle didn't seem at all convinced.

"Look, I'll show you. I've got pictures."

"Pictures?" The word seemed foreign to his rugged double.

"Umm, they're like small, instant paintings. Of people."

"Really?"

"If you untie me, I'll show you. I've got 'em on my phone. Oh… that's a device to talk to people over long distances. Mine's portable."

Kyle took out a knife. He cut the ropes binding Connor's wrists without hesitating.

Connor rubbed his wrists. "Thanks…" he muttered.

"No problem. Can I see the pictures?"

He nodded, retrieving his phone from his pocket. His battery still had a little bit of juice left. It was enough to let him pull up some old pictures of Sarah, their mother, and their father. Chase was in one picture with Sarah, the two of them laughing during happier times. There was one of him with Sarah and their dad. It was a bit out of focus—Alice was rubbish with cell phone cameras—but it showed the strong resemblance between father, daughter, and son.

"Jess…" Kyle whispered, staring at Sarah's pictures. "She looks so happy…"

"She usually was," Connor said. "She loved Wonderland."

"What happened to her?"

"I don't know."

* * *

_Now, the following scenes have been recut and mixed in the final. This was the original version which had Jessica being a bit more frail than intended in the first half._

Damon Heart stood over the sleeping blonde woman. He raised the heavy sword, touching it to her neck to measure the distance. He raised the blade, lifting it high into the air.

He brought it down with a woosh of air and a loud twack.

The only problem was that the sword missed its mark.

Ana of Diamonds rolled clear of the blade, dropping to the floor.

The silk nightgown she wore reflected small fragments of moonlight, illuminating her movements as she moved into a defensive position. He smiled at that. She was a fighter. It would make killing her that much sweeter.

He raised the sword again, swinging the blade at her midsection, forcing her toward the bed, where the remains of her pillow lay scattered. She grunted.

Damon stepped closer, catching a chunk of her hair as he climbed onto the bed. He slipped the sword right up next to her neck.

She cried out in surprise, her body thrashing despite the sword level with her throat. It would be very easy to decapitate the woman. It would be so easy to crush his brother's little romance and their distant cousin's potential grasp for the throne.

He straddled her hips, holding her still on the bed.

"Go ahead… scream…" he taunted. "No one will hear you. No one will save you, you little blonde whore…"

Her brown eyes bored into his. "Let go of me!"

"I don't think so. You've been found guilty of treason against the sovereign of Wonderland…"

Ana twisted and bucked on the bed underneath him. His lips curled into a sneer at her panicked movements.

Damon leaned in closer, his breath hot on her face. He ground his hips into hers, starting slow before slamming their hips together in a rapid motion.

Ana cried out, her fingernails clawing at his face.

He backhanded her soundly, leaving blood dripping down the corner of her mouth.

"You like this?" he growled, his arousal very clear.

"Get away from me, you pervert!"

He smacked her again. "Language, my dear cousin. Language…"

Jessica tried to keep her fear contained. Damon thrived on fear—it was nourishment for his twisted soul the way chocolate cake was for other people. Then again, most of his subjects weren't lying on their backs with a broadsword at their throat and his pelvis grinding into their hips.

Her nails were too short to do much damage. She couldn't get the right leverage to flip him thanks to the sword and his simulation of sex.

_You twisted little fucker…_

Damon didn't recognize her as his half-sister. He just seemed to be getting off at the very idea of having the woman his brother had eyes for. She was a prize to him. He had no idea that they were closely related or that she'd gladly stab him in the back.

"That's what a real man feels like," he hissed into her ear before licking a drop of blood from her throat.

Jessica shivered. She had thought after all those years and preparation that she could take on Damon. She'd been wrong. She'd been so wrong.

_Kyle… if you can hear me… help… It's Jessie. I need you. Damon… it's Damon… You have to stop him… Please…_

But Jessica had a feeling that her silent cry for help would fall on deaf ears. The odds of her brother still being alive or conscious enough to receive her message were slim.

She closed her brown eyes for a moment, trying to summon what remained of her strength and anger. She was the daughter of Alice of Legend. She was the rightful heir to the throne—not Damon the demon. She was her mother's daughter.

He'd killed her once before. She couldn't let him do it twice. Wonderland needed her.

Jessica curled her right hand into a fist. She let her power concentrate in her knuckles. She could feel the anger joining the tiny bit of magic that occasionally manifested there. The combination made her hand tingle.

Above her, Damon shifted his weight.

She struck, her fist slamming into the side of his head.

There was a loud sound as bone struck bone. Damon faltered for a moment, giving her precious seconds.

Jessica shoved him again, tossing him away from her. The sword slipped; freeing her neck.

She picked up the heavy blade.

Damon grunted, coming back to his senses as she backed to the edge of the bed, the Vorpal Sword in her hand. She leveled the lethal blade at him.

"Don't you dare touch me!" she cried.


	10. Alternate & Deleted Sarah Scenes

**Alice and What Came After – The Extras**

**Disclaimer:** You know the drill.

**Alternate & Deleted Sarah Scenes**

_(Sarah finds out she's pregnant)_

Sarah twisted the lock on both bathroom doors. She flipped on the bathtub's tap to keep Connor from nosing around and banging on the door to be let in.

She took a deep breath and opened up the cardboard box. She couldn't believe that she'd had to buy a pregnancy test. Alice had discussed birth control methods when they had the sex talk a few years back. She had been careful. Or at least she thought she had.

Had she mixed up her birth control pills? Or missed one?

She sighed, remembering a month or two ago when Nancy got into the medication store in the bathroom. The prehistoric pet had messed with Sarah's pills and Connor's allergy medications.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid…_

Sarah read through the directions, peed on the stick, and then sat on the edge of the tub, her feet splashing around in the shallow water as she waited for her phone to beep.

_Mum's going to kill me…_

A baby. She couldn't be pregnant. She was barely eighteen! There was no way she could have a baby. Not now. She was very busy with college. Her winter break only lasted for another week. Then she'd be back in her dorm room.

_And Chase… oh, god, Chase…_

Forget Alice's temper—Connor would murder Chase. He'd been pissed enough when he got dragged into their intimate moments through their bond. It was one thing to know that they were having sex. She had a feeling that knowing she was pregnant would push Connor over the edge. Even he couldn't bury his head in the sand when she had a baby growing inside her.

The timer on her phone went off. She scrambled to shut it off before Connor heard it.

Sarah studied the directions and then the stick.

She double-checked. Then triple-checked.

Her heart sank.

She was pregnant. She was carrying the next generation of the Hatter family inside her. A child with two claims to the Wonderland throne. A child who, like his or her mother, would be torn between two worlds.

* * *

_(Alternate date from chapter 51)_

Shortly after her seventeenth birthday, Sarah Hatter moved even closer to her boyfriend of two years. Chase still worked at the tea shop full-time. He took most of the weekday evening shifts, leaving his weekends free to spend time with her, and giving her father time off in the evenings. Hatter cut back on his own shifts at the shop, giving him a chance to spend more time with his family.

Sarah was a month away from high school graduation when she finally took a weekend off studying to spend time with Chase.

He took her out to a Broadway show and then they had dinner at his flat. She brought two different forms of dessert with her—one was a pie her brother had helped make and the other was, well, herself.

Chase had no idea about her plans.

They sat through a rousing rendition of _A Chorus Line_, featuring one of Chase's friends. Chase even took her around to the stage door to meet the cast afterwards. They got their Playbills signed by several actors before heading back to A Taste of Wonderland.

The shop had closed an hour or so before, leaving the two of them completely alone. Chase had asked her parents for special permission to keep her out late due to the show. Hatter and Alice had whole-heartedly agreed and extended her curfew to one in the morning—provided Chase would personally escort her home.

The couple slipped upstairs into his apartment. While Chase heated up their dinner, Sarah slipped her feet out of her high heels. She flexed her feet and let the blood flow back into her toes.

"You hungry?" Chase called from the kitchen.

"Starving! I'm so hungry I could eat a whole Jabberwock."

Her boyfriend snorted in the kitchen. "Sorry, luv… no Jabberwocky on the menu tonight."

"That's a shame…"

Sarah lit the candles on the table top. The soft glow brought a bit of warmth to the small flat. She smiled, inhaling the light scent. Yankee Candles were expensive, but she liked the various scents she could buy. Some of them reminded her of her father's bended teas.

"Food's hot…" Chase warned, carrying two mis-matched plates in, his hands hidden inside oven mitts.

He set one plate at her seat and the other at his own.

"A toast…" Sarah proposed, once they both sat down, napkins in their laps and their wine glasses full of sparkling cider.

Chase cleared his throat as he raised his glass to her. "To?"

"The future. To us."

"Here, here!"

They each took a long drink.

"How's your steak?" he asked a few minutes later.

"Good… it's good."

Despite being a teenage girl, Sarah had inherited her father and brother's appetite. She did like salads, but as a starter, not as a meal.

"I'm glad. I was afraid I'd royally fuck it up."

Sarah smiled across the small table at him. "No, it's good. Really. It's loads better than what I'd manage to do."

"Knowing you, it'd probably still be bleeding…"

She elbowed him. "Hey!"

"What? It's no secret that you can't cook!"

"Still…"

"Still what?"

"You owe me an apology," she insisted, smirking a bit.

"Oh? How do ya figure that?"

Sarah shrugged. "I just do."

* * *

_(Deleted scene from chapter 51 – I loved this scene. I based the animal behavior on two dogs—one who acts like Sid and one who acts like Nancy. Jet really has to know where everyone is no matter what. If Coop's tired, he doesn't care. He'll be asleep on your head instead.)_

Connor tossed and turned in his bed. Near his feet, Sid was grumbling as he tried to settle in for the night. Nancy lay on the floor near the bathroom door, waiting for her mistress to come home. Until Sarah came home, Nancy preferred to be with Sid.

But at night, the _diictodon_ wouldn't rest until her mistress came to get her. She would keep watch on Connor and Sid, but she would not rest. She waited for Sarah to get home before closing her eyes, a bit like a mother hen would react.

Mother hen Nancy circled around in front of the door, whimpering a bit like a dog.

Connor sighed, sitting up. "Nancy, it's'kay. She'll be back soon. She's just at dinner with Chase, remember?" he called to the upset _diictodon._

She whined again, looking up at him and Sid.

"I know… I know… She'll be back soon."

Connor closed his eyes, reaching out. He just transmitted a message. _Oi, your baby's lookin' for ya. Time to come on home…_

He sighed, trying to settle back down. Coupled with Nancy's frenzied pacing and Sid's constant shifting, he had a feeling that sleep would be hard to come across.

As he forced his body into relaxation, Connor slowly began to slip into his sister's mind.

_Oh… oh! Oww, that hurt… is it supposed to—Oh…_

Connor bolted out of his bed, nearly knocking Sid off. The two _diictodons_ chased him across the bedroom, nipping at his heels. They seemed rather eager to find out where he was going.

He grabbed his nearest hoodie and a hat before bolting out the door.

_I'm gonna be sick…_ he thought as Sarah invaded his brain again with her feelings.

* * *

_(Deleted scene – Sarah and Chase)_

Convincing Chase to give in to the urges they'd both been fighting for so long proved to be easier than she'd thought. After a bit of food, some light teasing, and a taste of dessert, they'd been running for the bed.

They fell onto the sheets, each exploring the other's body. Sarah took the lead, showing him that she did indeed want this.

Kisses and caresses.

Then Connor's voice in her head. Telling her to get home.

She ignored it, straddling her boyfriend. She wasn't going to let Connor ruin this for her. Not this time.

Chase kissed her, pulling her attention right back to him. And her attention stayed there with him.

* * *

_(Connor's reaction)_

Connor wanted to kill the Wonderlander. It was one thing to flirt with and kiss his sister. It was a whole nother thing to sleep with her.

The sick part was that he could feel it. Well, feel what she felt.

He had to stop several times to vomit and try to clear his head. This was like a really bad movie. No one should ever have to listen in on their sibling having sex. It was disgusting. The only thing worse would be catching your parents doing it.

Connor stopped again, one hand on his stomach as he lurched over a trashcan.

_Get outta my head!_

* * *

_(Connor interrupts Sarah and Chase)_

Sarah lay curled up next to Chase. Her body hurt more than she'd expected, despite Chase's tenderness. He'd acted like she was made of china.

It was sweet, in an awkward way.

At least until Connor stormed into the flat.

_Oh, no… here we go again…_

* * *

"What the bloody hell do ya think you're doing?" Connor shouted, furious to see his sister in Chase's bed. Unlike the last time he'd pulled them apart, Sarah was naked. That was an image he could've done without.

"Connor, calm down…"

"Calm down? Calm down? That's my sister!" he hissed.

"I know. Look, mate—"

"I'm not your bloody mate!"

Chase put his hands on Connor's shoulders. "Settle down, Conn. Let's talk about this…"

"Talk? You want to talk? That's my sister you were shagging. My sister!"

"Connor—"

"You're almost old enough to be her da, you pervert!"

"Oi, Connor!" his sister shouted, wrapped in a sheet.

"Stay outta this, Sarah!"

"Look, we can talk about this—" Chase tried again.

"Talk? What about? You're fucking my sister!"

He could feel the anger boiling inside him. It was the protective side of him—the Madness—rising to defend his sister. He had a bad feeling that this would hurt Sarah. Chase would hurt his sister. If Sarah was hurt, Connor would hurt too.

But Connor didn't have to act. He didn't even get a chance to think.

Sarah took care of that for him.

* * *

"Oww!" Sarah hissed, flapping her left hand in the air. Her knuckles were already beginning to bruise.

"You didn't need to do that. I had everything under control," Chase muttered, looking between her smarting hand and an unconscious Connor.

"He was going Mad. I had to stop 'im."

"Did you ever think that maybe he's right? Maybe we should just… hold off?"

"What?"

"Sarah, luv… he made a good point. I'm almost thirty—you're not even eighteen yet."

"I will be in a few months…"

He sighed. "That's not the point. The point is… we're at different stages of life. You should be out there, experiencing everything, not waiting on me. Stop pining your entire life on me. There's other people in the world…"

"But I don't want anyone else…" she protested. "I want you."

"I want you, too… but maybe we should take a break. See other people…"

"No!"

"Sarah—"

"Connor was right, wasn't he? You were just using me!"

She gathered her clothes, pushing over his belongings as she collected her tights, underwear, slip, and dress. She pulled the slip over her head, dropping the sheet on the floor.

"Sarah—"

"Now that you've slept with the Princess of Wonderland, how do you feel? Are you ready to go back to your world and brag? I'm sure your mother would crown you King just for shacking up with a Hatter. It seems to be a prerequisite to ruling Wonderland these days…"

He grabbed her arm. "Sarah, that's not—"

"I don't want to hear it."

Her gown slipped over her head with ease. The silky fabric flared out around her as she bent down to snatch up one of her heels.

"Sarah, please…"

She spun around to glare at him. "Leave me alone!"

With that, Sarah limped out of his life with one shoe on.


End file.
